Heritage, Volume 13, Number 3, Summer 1995 Page: 11
30 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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unique. Built in 1881-82, the chapel faithfully
served the congregation of Grace
Episcopal Church for more than a century.
Today, it is the oldest frame church
building in the city. Even in the context
of Georgetown, which boasts some excellent
examples of church design and historic
preservation, the old chapel holds its
own architecturally.
Old Grace began its history at the
southeast comer of Tenth and Main Street,
only a few blocks from the courthouse
square. There, its stark white exterior,
lancet windows and doors, and distinctive
squared bell tower with corer finials made
a dramatic statement within the surrounding
Victorian tableau. Its crisp lines and
simple, but elegant, architectural detailing
can be easily discerned in early photographs
of the city.
The scene changed shortly after World
War II, when adjacent commercial development
and increased traffic began to
impact the site both visually and economically.
In 1955, parishioners of Grace
Episcopal Church decided to move their
beloved sanctuary some distance east to
a new site across from Southwestern University,
a Methodist institution. In its
new location, the chapel complemented
the ecclesiastical order of the campus
architecture and served as an important
visual landmark on the eastern edge of
the city. In the 1960s, the Texas Historical
Commission designated the structure
a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
for its architectural and historical
integrity.
As the city grew, so did the membership
of Grace Episcopal Church, and by
the late 1980s, it was evident Old Grace
could no longer adequately serve its intended
purpose for the congregation.
Although still cherished by its members,
the chapel did not fit in with projected
plans for continued growth and
site development. When construction
began on a new sanctuary, workers gently
moved Old Grace to the side as
diocesan leaders and church members
debated its future.
After considering appeals from state
and local preservationists, and at least
one proposal to move the chapel to another
county, church officials ultimately
supported a plan to donate Old Grace to
the City of Georgetown, with the understanding
that it would be relocated and
rehabilitated for public use. Integral to
the plan was a special preservation partThe Old Grace leaves its University Avenue location on March 26, 1992. (Photograph courtesy of the
Georgetown Heritage Society Archives.)ZUnceremoniously draped with a tarpaulin to protect the
roof opening and the bell, the old chapeCl ooked abandoned
in the middle of the parking lot. It tooka great dea offaith
to believe the crippledstructure would ever regain its previous
architectural glory.nership between the City of Georgetown and
the Georgetown Heritage Society that provided
a framework for joint cooperation on
the project.
The city and the Society were initially
reluctant partners in this arrangement. Neither
party was then in the market for a
building, especially a former sanctuary. Such
a project presented both with a myriad of
variables and unknowns, especially with regard
to costs, responsibilities, utilization, andliabilities. In Georgetown, there was no
precedent for such an undertaking, although
both parties had worked together on a
variety of downtown revitalization programs
through a successful Main Street
project. But Old Grace was different; this
was a true test of a community's commitment
to preservation.
There were risks associated with a cooperative
arrangement between the city
and GHS. Anything less than success couldHERITAGE * SUMMER 1995 11
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Texas Historical Foundation. Heritage, Volume 13, Number 3, Summer 1995, periodical, Summer 1995; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth45409/m1/11/?rotate=270: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Historical Foundation.